


Deal.

by youngandbitchy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes has low self-esteem, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tumblr: young-and-bitchy, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 05:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16906785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngandbitchy/pseuds/youngandbitchy
Summary: Reader is helping Bucky win the case that could give him his life back.





	Deal.

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous requested: Can you write something with Bucky to help me cheer up? Been depressed lately and anything with Bucky would help. 
> 
> Requests are open (tumblr: young-and-bitchy / request from here).

 

After those who sided with Captain America during the Sokovia Accords resurfaced and helped defeat Thanos, they thought they could finally rest; they thought everything was going to be fine.

They were wrong.

Steve, Wanda, Sam and Bucky; they were all on trial for not signing the Accords and escaping. But Bucky was even deeper in the troubled water.

It was a private trial. That afternoon at the courthouse, you received Bucky’s charges.

“How many pages is that?” he asked you.

You sighed. “I’m sorry, but you’re doomed,” Liv, one of your interns, said.

“Shut up,” you demanded.

“Is she wrong, though?” Bucky inquired.

You squinted at Bucky. “Liv, Kat, leave me alone with Sergeant Barnes, will you?”

Liv sighed as Kat pushed her out of the room. You were sitting on a chair in front of a large wooden table, looking at Bucky pace back and forth. You got up and grabbed him by the shoulders, feeling his muscles underneath but focusing on his eyes.

“Stop freaking out.”

“You should just drop the case. I’m a doomed man,” he stated.

“No, you’re not,” you replied. “Do you know why I’m here?” You inquired.

Bucky saw you arching your eyebrows. “Because you’re the best at your job.”

“Exactly. I got Steve and Sam great deals, and I’m going to do the same with you.”

“Steve and Sam didn’t kill hundreds of people or escaped for five years.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “I can get you out of most of those charges. You do know that, right? Out of those ten pages, nine are going away.”

“What about the last one?”

“Can you please trust me?” You asked. “Even though Everett is on the other side, he also wants the best deal for you, and I don’t mind kicking Thaddeus’ ass again.”

Bucky sighed, and you got him to crack a smile. “I trust you.”

“Good. Now, we’re discussing the charges with the Judge in about an hour, so we better get to work.”

 

Two weeks later, they dropped the charges, but Bucky was still facing at least fifteen years in a maximum security prison. That morning, you were back at the courthouse. You were in the room with Tony Stark, Captain Rogers and King T’Challa. Sam had gone find coffee for all of you with Kat.

Bucky looked impecable. He was wearing an adjusted suit, his hair was up in a bun, his beard was clean. The smell of cologne and testosterone in the room was making you dizzy. You were listening to music to help pump you up for the trial.

“Does she do this often?” Tony asked Liv.

“It helps her get into the murderous mood,” Liv responded and looked at you. “It’s truly a wonderful thing to see.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “If you say so…”

You checked your watch and noticed the trial started in a few minutes, so you stopped the music and took off your headphones. “Gentlemen, and Liv,” you called. “Can you leave me with Sergeant Barnes, please?”

Steve patted Bucky’s back. “Good luck, buddy.”

Bucky nodded. “Thanks.”

When you two were alone, you approached Bucky to fix up his tie. “Are you ready to be a free man, Sergeant?”

“I think we’re past the formalities. You can call me Bucky,” he said.

You grinned. “How’re you feeling?”

“Honestly? I feel like puking.”

“Your future is on the line, I think you’re entitled to be so.”

Bucky eyed you. You were wearing a professional pants suit, your hair up and lipstick in a neutral tone.

You two had spent almost everyday together for the last two months, between discussing your case, Steve’s and Sam’s; and he’d grown to like you in a non-professional way. Maybe if you were right, maybe if he was a free man by the end of the day, he’d ask you out on a date.

Maybe.

“Thaddeus has no idea what’s coming to him.”

“Oh, I think he does, and he’s probably terrified.”

You smiled. “I like the way you think, Sergeant.”

Bucky cracked a smile. You heard a knock on the door. “(Y/N)?” Kat called you. “It’s time.”

You were nervous too. You wanted for Bucky to be free, because despite of the things Thaddeus had argued he’d done in bad faith, he was a good man. Honest, loyal and kind.

And you were ready to kick ass for him.

You were in a room similar to the last one, except this one had windows and glass doors. The Judge sat at the end of the table, Bucky and you by the right and Thaddeus and Everett on the left.

After the formalities, Everett and Thaddeus made their offer.

“Ten years, with bail after the first seven,” Everett informed.

The Judge and Bucky thought it to be a good deal. Bucky felt discouraged, but seven years wasn’t so much.

“No,” you denied.

The Judge’s eyes widened. “What?” Bucky inquired.

“Are you really going to reject our offer?”

“Is that the best you can offer to a drafted veteran who was brainwashed for years and forced to run from the law and is next to take on the mantle of Captain America, given that Captain Rogers retired?”

Everett suppressed a smile. “Sergeant Barnes becoming the next Captain America is an idea only the Avengers have discussed.“

“Who are now a public organisation. They all signed the Accords, didn’t they?”

“Only after they made a ridiculous amount of changes.”

“Well, can the American government take on beings from other realms, other galaxies? If the Avengers had trouble battling Thanos, who they managed to take down at the end…”

“Getting half the population wiped from the universe.”

“Do not interrupt me, Mr. Ross,” you demanded. Bucky’s eyes remained wide, and he was enjoying seeing you in action. “Do you believe they could’ve taken down such imminent threat?”

The Judge chuckled, those present hearing it. “I apologize.”

Bucky’s spirits lifted. Maybe he could be a free man after all.

“According to medical exams from Wakanda, Sergeant Barnes is on his way to recovering the life taken from him while he defended his country. Princess Shuri made sure he underwent treatment, and I have proof that Sergeant Barnes is taking care of his health.”

“Wakanda? May I remind you that King T’Challa is an accomplice to the Sergeant?”

“Do you want to put the King of Wakanda on trial?”

“Excuse me,” the Judge spoke. “Do you mean Sergeant Barnes is no longer under the influence of HYDRA?”

“He passed the test, didn’t he?”

Bucky had had to hear those words that triggered him again to prove HYDRA wasn’t a problem for him anymore, and even though he’d managed to pass, he was sure he wouldn’t forget all those things done to him anytime soon.

“He does therapy at least three times a week and doesn’t fail to take his medication.” You looked straight into Thaddeus’ eyes. “You said the Sergeant being Captain America was only discussed amongst the Avengers, am I correct?”

“What do you want, Ms. (Y/L/N)?”

You looked at Bucky and smiled to yourself. “I want us to make it official. My client will sign the Accords to take on the mantle and you give him two years of house arrest.”

Everett’s eyes widened and Thaddeus’ jaw dropped. “That’s preposterous.”

“Is it more preposterous than putting my client in a maximum security prison underwater that will affect his mental health?” You inquired. “My client would be risking his life to keep the world safe by becoming an Avenger.”

“Your client is a semi-stable super soldier with PTSD,” Everett added.

“Every single Avenger suffers from PTSD,” you replied.

“Enough,” the Judge interrupted, hitting her hammer against the table once. She took a breath. “Sergeant, are you ready to take on the mantle?”

You looked at Bucky. He nodded. “Yes, your Honor.”

“Then I’ve reached my decision,” she said. “Two years of house arrest. He will sign the Accords and will only leave the Avengers Compound when he is authorised for a mission.”

You couldn’t help but smile.

When you turned to Bucky, he had tears in his eyes. “Your Honor…” Thaddeus began.

She hit her hammer again, announcing the closing of the case. “Thank you very much, your Honor,” he said in a rough, emotional voice.

The Judge got up, nodded to everyone and walked out of the room. Thaddeus left without shaking anyone’s hand, fuming.

“He’ll be fine,” Everett stated, stretching his hand to shake yours. “Good job, (Y/N).” He turned to Bucky and went to shake his hand. Bucky took it. “As much as I don’t want to admit this… you deserve this, Sergeant James.”

“Thank you, Ross.”

In the main hallway of the courthouse, Tony, Steve, Sam and T’Challa and your interns were waiting, seated. Steve was the first one to get up when he spotted you two, followed by your interns, T’Challa and Sam. Tony wasn’t in a hurry.

“So? What’s the verdict?”

“Well… Bucky will be under house arrest at the Compound for the next two years, but… he’ll sign the Accords, becoming Captain America and leaving the place in authorised missions.” You looked at him. “I wish I could’ve done more, though.”

“More?” Bucky inquired. “(Y/N), they wanted to give me ten years in a maximum security prison. I think I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, that’s not bad,” Steve argued.

“You’re good at your job, Ms. (Y/L/N),” Tony complimented you. “You’ll come to celebrate, right?”

“I… I don’t think…”

“C’mon,” Bucky said. “You may think there’s nothing to celebrate, but… after all the crap, this is a win.”

You could feel his cerulean blue eyes, begging you.

You nodded. “I’ll be there, sure.”

“Great. And girls?” Tony turned to your interns. “You’re invited, too.”

Your interns gasped, excited.

 

When Bucky first saw you entering the party, his heart raced faster than Usain Bolt during the Olympics, feeling his breath get stuck in his throat.

You were wearing a white, short laced dress; your hair was in a low ponytail, and the red lips immediately captured Bucky’s attention.

“Whoa,” Bucky muttered.

Sam noticed. “She looks amazing, right?” He said and won a glare from Bucky. “She’s no longer your lawyer, you know? You can ask her out.”

“Yes, but I’m still under house arrest. She doesn’t want to date a semi-stable convicted super soldier,” he answered, quoting Everett.

“How do you know what she wants?”

He didn’t.

When he looked at you again, you were talking to Steve. “Should I ask her out?”

“What do you have to lose?”

“My dignity.”

“You lost that a long time ago. Go.”

Sam pushed Bucky towards the dance floor as a new song began. One that was good to dance on.

As far as he recalled, he was a good dancer.

When you saw Bucky walking towards you, you almost choked on your champagne. He looked handsome… but a different kind of handsome. He looked like one of those bad boys from the crappy, cheap rom-coms with no plot but sex. One of those bad boys that would eventually save the day… just that, this time, you’d saved the day for him.

He was wearing combat boots, dark jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. His hair remained in a bun, and he was smiling… Bucky Barnes was smiling.

“Well, hello, Sergeant,” you greeted him, leaving the glass of champagne on a side of the bar.

“Hello, bud,” Steve said.

“Hello!” Sam arrived. “Steve, can you help me with something?”

Steve, God bless his soul, didn’t take the hint but still went with Sam, believing he actually needed help.

“See you later,” he told you.

“Bye,” you responded.

Steve and Sam left you alone with Bucky, and the brunnet took this as an opportunity to ask you to dance… but damn, was he nervous. After all, you were so out of his league. Too smart for your own good, not afraid to go after what you wanted, undefeatable.

Him? He couldn’t think less of himself by now.

“B?” You called for him.

“Yeah?” He snapped back to reality.

“Is… is everything okay? You seem a bit out of it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”

But you didn’t buy his act. You’d been around this man for two months, and you’d learned to read him: when he was sad, when he was angry, when he felt lost. When he was afraid, when he felt genuine happiness.

You grabbed his hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”

You led a confused Bucky towards the elevator. “What? What is happening?”

“C’mon.”

You pushed the both of you into the elevator and pressed the button to the rooftop. “What’s wrong?” You asked him.

“…Nothing,” he replied.

“I don’t believe you.”

Bucky sighed. “I… I don’t…”

“You don’t what?”

He walked out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, revealing a pool in the middle of the terrace. The sun was setting to turn the day into a clear, starry night. You could still hear the music from downstairs.

Bucky had turned his back on you, his hands on his hips. He was sighing. “Bucky,” you softly pronounced his name.

Bucky had lost his game. It didn’t surprise him. After all, HYDRA had brainwashed him; and he hadn’t spoken to a woman felt drawn to in years. He couldn’t help to feel lost.

So he did the first thing that came to his mind.

He passed from being three feet away from you to placing his lips on top of yours in a nanosecond, which took you by surprise. Your eyes widened, and you froze for a moment.

When Bucky faced you again, he had red lipstick on his mouth. “I am… so sorry,” he apologised.

“Don’t be,” you said. “Is that what this is about? You like me?”

“Yeah. A lot, I… I just didn’t think you’d want to date me,” he said, looking down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Then you thought wrong.”

He met your gaze, surprised. “What?”

You smiled, putting your hand on his neck to bring him in for a kiss. You wanted Bucky to know he wasn’t a recently convicted man to house arrest for you. He was genuine and kind, strong and persevering, loyal and funny.

“I have an idea,” you said, meeting his eyes after kissing him.

His hands were now on your back. “Do tell,” he smirked.

“We steal snacks from downstairs and have our date right here.”

Bucky nodded. “I like that, but first…”

And he proceeded to kiss you again as the sun set in the horizon.


End file.
